(Jeannine wanted to revise her comments. Below is an new version.)
Welcoming Hollywood into My Basement
I got a call from a neighbor who heard that a locations crew was searching for a basement with
an exterior entry to shoot a scene for the movie PRISONERS which was filming in East Point.
I gave the Locations Manager a call and they came over to my home to scout it out. “Can we
paint?” they asked. “Sure”, I said. They snapped some photos, drew out a sketch of the basement
area, and told me they would be in touch.
The next morning, we went over the details at breakfast and within minutes they arrived at my
home and swooped in to clear out my belongings. Three hours later, my basement was empty of
my belongings and they had painted my “Fire Roasted Pepper” walls a calmer, soothing gray.
The space looked completely different! By early evening, the set decorators had been busily
working their magic since the afternoon and were adding the final touches on the set.
The next day shooting would commence. I decided in the wee hours of the morning that I would
treat the crew to Coca – Cola cupcakes. There I was in my kitchen at 12:30 AM baking up a
storm for all of the strangers that would soon be in my home.‘Like Worker Ants’
That afternoon, I was told they were ahead of schedule and shooting would start three hours
earlier than planned. Within twenty minutes, a crew of fifty spread about like worker ants across
my lawn to set up shop. I was introduced to a few key people as my mind struggled to take all of
the day’s events in. I stood on my front lawn surrounded by strangers moving about setting up
shop. I invited a few folks in for cupcakes and soon, monitors were set up in the living room and
the kitchen had folks filtering in and out for sweet treats.Wooing stars with cupcakes
Unit publicist and new friend David Linck and I were chatting in my kitchen over cupcakes
when Hugh Jackman arrived on set. David whisked me onto the porch before I could even
realize what was going on. “There he is,” David said. “Who, where?” I asked. “Hugh, right
in front of you, with his back to you,” David said. David led me out onto the porch and
introduced me to Hugh. Mr. Jackman shook my hand, thanked me for letting them film at
my house, and asked how I was doing. I offered him a Coca-Cola cupcake, which he happily
accepted. Unbeknownst to me, he had been Jonesing for sweets the day before, but had been
abstaining because he was set to start shooting Wolverine soon. I later saw his cupcake sans a
large bite perched atop his chair as he filmed, waiting for his return.
“SHHHH! Quiet on set!” someone yelled, as everyone settled into place to start shooting. I
tiptoed into my living room to watch the monitors that had been setup to show the filming
downstairs as my basement became the home of Terrance Howard and Viola Davis’ characters,
the Birch family (long time friends of Hugh Jackman and Maria Bello’s characters). Saunders,
the Assistant Director radioed a request to someone and he was quickly handed a sound monitor
which he then handed off to me. “For me?” I asked, excited to be included. He nodded. I quickly
inserted the ear piece into my ear and clipped the pack onto my jeans and began to listen. Mr.
Jackman and Ms. Bello discussed the scene with the director for a minute and then did a few
practice runs. They shot the scene a few times. Then, as quickly as they came, they began to pack
up.
I came across Ms. Bello on my front lawn. I introduced myself and invited her in for a cupcake.
She came inside with me and we spoke for a moment. She graciously posed for a photo with
me and invited me to the benefit she was hosting Saturday evening for We Advance, her
organization that works to empower women and children throughout Haiti.
The crew packed up and headed back to their base at the hospital for dinner. I was invited to
tag along and eat with the gang. Afterwards, an invite was extended to watch more filming at
another neighbor’s home.Movie magic: snow in Atlanta in mid March
The next day I was welcomed back to take in more of the action as they filmed outdoor
scenes. I arrived to witness movie magic; snow was being created for the shoot! Workers were
everywhere icing over this and that and pooling puddles of icy snow and slush all over the front
lawn of the hospital. I stayed well into the evening and into the early morning until shooting
wrapped at about 7:20 AM. I drug myself back home in the pouring rain home as daylight began
to break through the dark, cloudy sky.
What an experience, I thought to myself, sad that it was over. Folks have been asking me “Did
you meet Hugh Jackman?” Yes, I did. He was very down to earth and charming. “Who else
did you meet?” Ms. Bello was at my home as well. She is gorgeous and personable. Having
Mr. Jackman and Ms. Bello film at my house was fantastic! “Did you get an Autograph?” No, I
don’t ask for autographs. “Did you get a photo of Hugh or with Hugh?” Yes and yes, but out of
respect for the actors and the studio, I will not post the photos with actors on social media - doing
so is frowned upon. “Who else is in the movie?” In addition to Hugh Jackman, the all-star cast
boasts Terrance Howard, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Melissa Leo, and Jake Gyllenhaal. “How did
they wind up filming at your house?” Timing and chance led to this amazing and unforgettable
experience, I didn’t do anything special or have any inside hookups, and it just worked itself out
to happen at my home.
To me, the highlight of it all was meeting the talented and interesting crew and learning about
what goes into making a movie. Hearing about how the various crew members got into the
business and what other projects they had worked on was fascinating. After filming wrapped
at my house, I was invited to watch more of the action. The next day, I sat in on filming at the
hospital (fun fact – I was born at South Fulton). Upon my arrival I was warmly greeted by name
by several crew members with smiles, handshakes, and even hugs. Receiving an invite to the set
after filming at my home had been completed, getting a great paint job, and getting to keep some
of the props used on set was the icing on the cake. It was an experience I will never forget in
which I also met some wonderful people.
